On September 8, 1900, the United States experienced the most devastating natural disaster in history, the Storm of 1900. Originating from a tropical storm off the coast of Cuba , the 1900 storm did not reach hurricane status until it passed Key West, Florida. While in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the storm took an unexpected turn toward the Texas coast. Due to the lack of technology at that time, the population was warned that a storm of moderate intensity was heading their way. Unaware that the storm was gathering speed, Galvestonians were in no way prepared for the extraordinary weather that was quietly approaching. Suddenly, a merciless hurricane hit the shores of Galveston, Texas, one of the richest cities in the United States, famous for its shipping port. The storm's strong winds shocked the city as it desperately sought shelter. According to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale (SSHS), hurricanes are classified based on their sustained winds. To be considered a hurricane, a storm must have sustained winds of 74 mph. That's for a Category 1 storm. The highest ranking on the scale is a Category 5 with sustained winds of 156 miles per hour. The 1900 storm, with its deadly winds averaging around 140 miles per hour, was a Category 4 hurricane, but some people believe the winds may have reached 200 miles per hour. The storm devastated the island. The majority of Galveston Island was quickly flooded, with storm surge height reaching 15.7 feet. Barely nine feet protruded from the water at the top of Galveston's highest ground. When the hurricane finally passed and the water receded enough for Galvestonians to leave their place of refuge, citizens emerged to discover that...... middle of paper ...saving people lives. Another advancement in hurricane safety is weather forecasting technology. At the time of the storm, there were no warning sirens, and although people were aware of the approaching bad weather, they were accustomed to dealing with storms and were unaware of the approaching deadly disaster. To this day, the storm of 1900 remains. the deadliest natural disaster in United States history. Once a major shipping port, Galveston has now been changed forever. The storm took with it millions of dollars worth of structures, priceless personal property, and thousands of innocent lives. Galveston will never fully regain its wealth after the beautiful structures and bustling harbors became worthless wrecks scattered across the island and demolished by the ocean. The horrors and sorrows caused by the storm of 1900 are almost immeasurable..